Alex Smith’s view of The Harbaugh Shakedown

Alex Smith has seen the video. Who hasn’t by now? But he thinks everyone is “blowing out of proproportion a little bit” the post-game exchange between 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh and Lions coach Jim Schwartz.

What was Smith doing at the time? He was reuniting with former 49ers quarterback Shaun Hill, who doubled as a groomsman at Smith’s wedding. “We had a slightly less physical handshake. A hug, actually,” Smith quipped Monday.

Smith said the coaches weren’t the only ones partaking in Sunday’s physical and emotional contest. “It was a physical game, a lot of talking going on on both sides,” Smith said of the 25-19 over the previously unbeaten Lions.

His downplaying of The Harbaugh Shakedown was not an effort to get more press for how the 49ers actually won. Nor is he concerned with whether the NFL is starting to take the 49ers seriously after the first 5-1 start since 1998. But he is strongly in Harbaugh’s corner, just as the coach has been a Smith supporter since Day 1.

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“If anything, this team loves and appreciates the fact that our coach is fiery and a competitor. We like that,” Smith said. “I don’t think any of us hold that against him for what happened.”

What Smith does plan to deal with his penchant for throwing high passes to receivers, as evidenced by the array of flybys that sail over Michael Crabtree each week. Smith attributed part of that problem to fundamentals with his eyes and feet. But there is another aspect: “All of a sudden, in that type of game, I was determined that I wasn’t going to take an unnecessary sack,” Smith said. “Me getting the ball over a receiver is better than taking a sack.”

As for the 49ers’ season-high 15 penalties Sunday, Smith said: “We’re not going to win many when we do that. Fortunately we were able to overcome it.”

Smith plans to “work on getting better” during this bye week but indeed will “get away, give my body and mind a break, then prepare for Cleveland (on Oct. 30 at Candlestick).”

Smith didn’t divulge where he’ ll do his rest-and-relaxation, but safety Donte Whitner and defensive lineman Ricky Jean Francois are heading to Miami, a probable destination for other Florida-based players.

The team is expected to be dismissed Tuesday to go enjoy the bye (and a 5-1 start).

Cam Inman

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My opinion, yes may be JH should have been more composed, but I fail to understand, what is the big deal, this a football game and not a girls scout field trip . On another note, I have watched Jim Schwartz during Loins Vs Dallas game earlier this month, there were lot of pointing, taunting and fist pumping going on by Jim Schwartz. Now this key statement by Alex Smith “It was a physical game, a lot of talking going on on both sides,” My thought process and message to Jim Schwartz that when you instigate some things from your side, additionally your defensive player have been mouthing off and ridiculing 49ers offense all week long in SF media. Why are you complaining now, that just shows you that you are sore loser. Grow up Jim Schwartz, you just got humbled by (in your opinion) “lowly forty niners” … I happy that we won..

In my opinion, the big deal is this. It’s about maintaining protocol, respect, tradition, dignity, and class in sports culture.

I’ve been a Niner fan since I was a little kid in the early 60’s. Right now, I find myself disagreeing with most Niner fans and players in this. I’ve heard the players saying things like… “It was an intense game… this is an intense sport… these things happen”. Uh… no, generally they DON’T happen. If this kind of thing happened all the time, this incident wouldn’t be such a big topic of discussion. We can be happy we won the game, so it should be easier to go ahead and admit that our coach screwed up when it ended.

Harbaugh is an excellent football coach, and I’m glad to have him here. That said, he’s also a rookie coach in this league, and he probably needs to learn how to behave after a game. He admitted this in today’s press conference (said he should “improve” on how he shakes hands).

When JH slapped Schwartz on the back, you could clearly see Schwartz stumble forward a bit. Then, as JH goes by him, JH lets out a WOO HOO!!, while he’s still just a few feet away from Schwartz. Nobody’s talking about that (especially Niners fans). I mean, you just don’t do that to a coach who just lost a big game in his building. Schwartz appeared to immediately turn and say WTF, and JH apparently responded with an obscenity without even bothering to turn around. Harbaugh dodging questions (not even admitting the “shove”) and refusing to apologize is not what I want to see from a 49ers coach. This organization was all about class when we were at our peak, and that should still be our aim. Act like you’ve done it before. I guarantee you that Bill Walsh would never have pulled a stunt like this (and I’m not saying JH intentionally provoked Schwartz, but nobody knows that for certain). Clearly, Schwartz is no saint either, but the fact is, JH initiated the entire thing with a brash and disrespectful act.

It’s dangerous to start defending and condoning behavior like JH exhibited yesterday. The culture of mutual respect is important. Let’s not let our culture change any further than it has to. Sports should be as much about respect and class as it is about competition. We should all strive to keep things on the high road.

Rochester

Schwartz is a sore loser and a punk. The Lions were trash talking all week, and he was taunting Harbaugh in the 1st quarter, but he can’t take a man’s handshake and a little slap on the back?

Harbaugh is just what this team needed..

Who’s Got It Better Than Us?.. NO-BODY!

Kommon Senze

Eh. I agree to an extent that Harbaugh’s actions were a bit out of line, but I don’t think the point about it being overblown is also accurate. What made this a national story was not Harbaugh’s slap on the back handshake. Had that been all that happened, I’m sure that this story would be dead by now. It was Schwartz’ reaction to Harbaugh’s slap on the back that made this a bigger story. Had he not run after Harbaugh and continued to bark at him for several more yards, this would not be a SportsCenter story.

Would I like to see Harbaugh act like he’s been there and show a little more class? Yes. To his credit, he’s taken responsibility for his behavior and, while not offering up a true apology to Schwartz directly, has shown that a level of awareness about this gaffe that, to me, is enough to convince me that this is not an issue that we, as fans, should be overly concerned about.

Now, if he continues to be petulant or disrespectful towards the game, and his words end up being nothing more than lip-service, sure, then I think there’s more of a story here.

For the time being, I can live with the fact that the 49ers head coach is a little exuberant. I’m not going to champion his actions or make excuses for them, but I think it’s a minor character flaw and one that does not stem from malice or bad-intentions.

Kommon Senze

Sorry.. that should have read “but I do think the point about it being overblown is also accurate.”

SJ Jim

KS: “It was Schwartz’ reaction to Harbaugh’s slap on the back that made this a bigger story. Had he not run after Harbaugh and continued to bark at him for several more yards, this would not be a SportsCenter story.”

Well yeah, but Schwartz is a human being, and was essentially being brusquely dissed in his house in front of his team and his fans. Many have already pointed out (including Bill Cowher) that they would have probably done exactly what Schwartz did. It’s pretty hard to blame him for reacting like that. Harbaugh started it, and if he had more class he would simply apologize and move on. The fact that he admits it was “his bad”, and yet won’t make an apology is immature, imo.

Look- I haven’t seen ANYBODY add in the fact that Harbaugh let out a big WOO HOO!! immediately after the back slap. To me, that was just as bad if not worse, and probably sent Schwartz over the edge. To me that was shockingly stupid. It’s really almost as though Harbaugh was rattling his cage intentionally. I would say for everybody to watch the film again, if you didn’t notice that part.

Realfan49

@SJ Jim

Get real old man. Handshake and a slap on the back is very common amongst guys.

Schwartz didn’t stumble and Harbaugh didn’t cuss him.

Just go back at yelling at kids on your lawn.

bullship

Ok…SJ Jim….

You make this sound like it was the end of a golf tournament or something. It was no big deal UNTIL Schwartz made it a big deal. I am sooooo tired of the attitude that somehow ‘ well he was so obnoxious I had to react’ or ‘ his attitude was upsetting’ therefore I get to throw a tantrum’ ESPECIALLY OVER NOTHING. I suppose you think it is ok for you to go ballistic if a guy gives you the finger? Harbaugh did very little compared to Schwartz’s response, and Cower can say whatever he wants – he would grunt and scowl and yell all the time. There have been acrimonious meetings at mid- field for years- only a truely anal retentive self important twit would feel the need to do anything in response to Harbaugh’ s hand shake. And your sanctumonus take and posture is nauseating…..get over yourself

Andy Lee’s Mom

Dang SJ Jim- does “SJ” stand for “sanctimonious Jim”? Harbaugh made a mistake. No one is condoning what he did. In fact Harbaugh would have taken more criticism had Schwartz just let it go.

Schwartz is a loud mouth. He also apparently allows his top players to mouth off about what they are going to do against the opponents. He was smack talking about why the Niners chose to defend after the coin toss. He mocked Harbaugh openly on the challenge. People are understandably trying to assign blame to one or the other, but Schwartz’s response is what triggered the firestorm. If he had just kept his cool, Harbaugh would have been universally criticized for his handshake. Loser: Schwartz.

Get over yourself SJ Jim. People of your era who talk about the “good old days” forget that it was OK to discriminate against minorities back then too. It was not the good old days for everyone.

latopia

If Harbaugh’s attabay was a “mistake”, then football is an abomination.

The only holier-than-cows in this farce are talking-heads (see Merrill Hoge’s convenient amnesia re Mad Dog Cowher) and the usual bedwetters.

Harbaugh has NOTHING to apologize for except the pasty, flabby innertube around his waist. I can see why he’d flash oline guys who’d sooner spit at washboard abs. But please coach, think of the children.

Otherwise, I suspect Schwartz lost a more than his 1st game. If I’m a Lions player, I’d be pretty EMBARASSED watching replay after replay of my coach going Lady Gaga over an attaboy from another coach.

Wouldn’t be surprised if Atlanta made it 2 straight. No surprise at all.

latopia

If Harbaugh’s [attaboy] was a “mistake”, then football is an abomination.

Detroit coach Jim Schwartz, a delicate flower as we found out Sunday, apparently didn’t appreciate the way Niners coach Jim Harbaugh slapped him on the back after San Fran dealt the Lions their first loss of the season. Seemed harmless enough at first, but all of a sudden Schwartz turned into the love child of Billy Martin and Earl Weaver and went into full hissy-fit mode as he chased Harbaugh toward the exit tunnel. Seconds later the situation morphed into an episode of “Real Housewives of Detroit” as players, coaches and public relations flacks ran interference while Schwartz continued his volcanic meltdown (think Lindsay Lohan when she hears the phrase “last call”).

Harbaugh said afterward maybe he shouldn’t have been so excitable in his post-game handshake and we hope Schwartz, delicate flower that he is, will make a full recovery.

It used to be that there was nothing to do in Detroit after a Lions game. Now we have Schwartz Watch to look forward to and for that we are grateful.

—

LoMo

Sj Jim, who gives a fock that you were a fan since the 60’s when you were hanging onto your momma’s teets? Just shows how old you are. Bottom line is he’s one of us and he’s winning. Are you going to stop supporting the niners if JH starts pissing on every team he beats? If no, then stfu. If yes, then good riddance. We don’t need fans who thinks they are holier than everyone else. You back your guy no matter what they did. It’s the other guy who is always wrong.

JasonXFlash

Forget all this handshake down thing. We tamed them PUSSY-cats and now let’s move on.

Suh who? Let’s talk about our Aldon Smith. At his pace he could have a 15+ sacks season. Rookie of the Year.

Go Mighty Niners Go…

JH gonna B a great COACH……

JasonXFlash

Old time. New time. Old days. New days. F all ya. Ya type too much to read. Swarts acts like a pussy (As is what they R). He should’ve just walk away and takes it like a man. That would’ve have made JH looks Bad, But just pussy as they R.

Love my Niners…

Kommon Senze

Thanks, JasonXFlash, for demonstrating to us all what a world full of illiterates might look like.

sportschuck

Hey SJ Jim…it is football not chess. Harbaugh took it on himself for the behavior. that is all he should do. I want my teams coach to get jacked up. I want him to be excited for great coaching preparation and team effort. What do you expect from a competitive person? For those of you that want to criticize Harbaugh for be overly exuberant…try playing a competitive sport without emotion. You get the 49ers over the last 9 years! Jim Harbaugh is a competitor. He and his team left it out on the field. More backslaps to come.

Niner Norm

I find it humorous that SJ Jim will give a free pass to Schwartz for running after Harbaugh and verbally attacking him, basically calling it a natural reaction and yet he calls out Harbaugh for not having restraint.

You can’t have it both ways SJ Jim!

Was Harbaugh a little over exuberant? Sure, he even admitted it. But hey, what he did was no big deal. He shook hands, showed some excitement and was running to the locker room. That should have been the end of the story.

OakHarbor49er

What fun! All the slap-happy sillyness winning brings has me sippin’ wine and munching brie on wholegrain crackers, dreaming of catching the Steelers. 16/8/11

Bart M

I’m a 49ers fan but Harbaugh disgusted me in this one. Not so much the stupid handshake, but the obvious push in the back afterwards. He had better clean up his act or there will many a team that will relish the “pouring it on the 9’ers” in the future. Shame on Jim.

Brian

I think Schwartz said, “What’s your deal?” to Harbaugh.

SJ Jim

Well, I see that very few of you punks understand class and respect. Odd that nearly every experienced ex-coach and ex-player working NFL games on television agrees with ME, and not you chumps.

Kommon Senze

The chump is the one who feels it necessary to call others by that designation. Ridiculous that you would call for ‘respect’ when you don’t offer it at any level.

FWIW, also, not nearly every experienced coach or ex-player agrees with you. The mix was far more 50/50, and certainly the criticism was equally as harsh (if not more so) towards Schwarz.